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Javelina Hunting Tip

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    Javelina Hunting Tip

    Thought I'd share a hunting story and a tip.

    On our latest trip down to South Texas to chase javis, hogs, (and for me rabbits)... I ended up having fewer stalks on javis than some trips in years past. This wasn't the most scarce of trips, but with the number of stalks being limited, I was less inclined to just go find another group if I couldn't manage to get a shot off (inside 15 yards.)

    One tip that I had learned long ago was when the javis go back into the brush, don't just quit... they will usually come back out... often times 20-40 yards up wind. That is your chance to move up the sandero and try and get into a better spot for when they come out. But this is a guestimate. Sometimes they head downwind, sometimes they just come back out where they were.

    Here's the new tip that I learned out of desperation this past weekend. On the last stalk of the weekend, with nothing to show for the trip... I found myself playing chess with a group of javis on a tightly covered road. There wasn't a good way to stalk down the side... you HAD to walk into the brush and move around the maze 10-15 yards off the road and hope to be able to get along side them and have an opening. This road had almost no shootable openings. After bumping them up and down this road, at one point they got spooked and came into the brush line with me. I almost had a shot, but they bump further in. I waited and they came back, but out in the road, 60 yards up.

    Finally after 30 minutes of chasing them around with no way to get a shot off in the road, I decided to get up next to them, 10 yards inside the brush line. I couldn't see them, but I could hear them. I was positioned along a slight opening in the maze of game trails inside the brush. I picked up a fat stick and hurled it over the mesquite trees onto the road.

    It worked... they scattered right towards me. The first one bolted past... the followers were a little more cautious but calm as they entered the brush. A female stopped 7-8 yards in front of me and while it wasn't a perfect shot, it was low enough that although it was a bit back, I was able to track and recover it about 60 yards later.

    I've used a similar tactic before, but usually when I am on the road and need them to scatter so I can get in a bit closer while they are in the brush line. This was the first time I used it to get them to come to me and it worked like I hoped it might.

    So - if you find yourself stalking javis in S Texas, keep in mind that every situation, sandero, etc is different and don't be afraid to try different tactics depending on the cover that is available.

    #2
    A trick that I’ve found to get them, is to put the bow down and grab a rifle.
    I used to pay money every year to chase them with a bow, now that I’m on a lease that has them good riddance.

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      #3
      Way to think outside the box! Congrats on getting it done!
      My Flickr Photos

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        #4
        Excellent tip, and spot on with waiting them out. They almost always come back out if they spook.
        Another helpful tip when hunting corned senderos is (if they're feeding toward you) to stalk to within about 80 yards hugging the brush line and take a step in. Kneel down and just wait. As long as the wind is decent they'll feed into archery range quickly. This gives you a chance to steady your nerves and calm your breathing. Draw first, lean out, and take your shot kneeling.

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          #5
          Works on squirrels on the other side of a tree.

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            #6
            Originally posted by Michael View Post
            Way to think outside the box! Congrats on getting it done!
            Thanks Michael

            Originally posted by sir huntsalot View Post
            Excellent tip, and spot on with waiting them out. They almost always come back out if they spook.
            Another helpful tip when hunting corned senderos is (if they're feeding toward you) to stalk to within about 80 yards hugging the brush line and take a step in. Kneel down and just wait. As long as the wind is decent they'll feed into archery range quickly. This gives you a chance to steady your nerves and calm your breathing. Draw first, lean out, and take your shot kneeling.
            Yep - spot on. That works best when the wind is crossing the sendero and not up/down it. You get on the downwind side and wait for them to come through. Normally I can get within 35-40 yds and wait them out to get inside the 10-15 yds.

            When the wind is up/down the sendero they tend to feed into the wind, so it is a harder proposition. getting them to get into the brush without busting them out is the trick and to guess how far downwind to be for when they pop back out and start feeding away from you. Typically if there are other areas with javis that have a better wind - I'll leave that place for a better situation. But when your options are slim or running out of time, I've started opting for creating the opportunity.

            I once took a longer shot (28 yard) than I should have an completely missed. I had 10 minutes left of sunlight and I didn't see any other option. I missed, they scattered. I walked up to where they were... decided to wait them out just in case and then boom 5 minutes later, had one come out of the brush opposite me and walk over to their preferred side of the road 5 yards from me.

            Light bulb went off - sometimes you can shake things up. What seems like luck - isn't always just luck...
            Last edited by SwampRabbit; 05-24-2021, 06:41 PM.

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              #7
              I miss the javas this year. Its a fun hunt.

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                #8
                Before



                After





                Sent from my SM-G781U using Tapatalk

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                  #9
                  Great job with the trad kill and the tacos. Javi is good eating.

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                    #10
                    Nice shooting on the “before”, and nice seasoning on the “after”, looks real tasty!

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                      #11
                      Well done Rabbit! Great tips.

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